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To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth ac…

etc.; to weaken in spirit or efficiency. The demoralizing example of profligate power and prosperous crime. Walsh. The vices of the nobility had demoralized the army. Bancroft.

To put an end to the existence, prosperity, or beauty of; to kill. If him by force he can destroy, or, worse, By some false guile pervert. Milton.

Attended with disadvantage; unfavorable to success or prosperity; inconvenient; prejudicial; -- opposed to advantageous; as, the situation of an army is disadvantageous for attack or defense. Even in the disadvantageous position in which he had been placed, he gave clear indications of future excellence. Prescott. -- D…

Unprosperous; unfortunate. [Obs.] Spenser.

Go, draw aside the curtains, and discover The several caskets to this noble prince. Shak. Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue. Bacon. We will discover ourselves unto them. 1 Sam. xiv. 8. Discover not a secret to another. Prov. xxv. 9.

Discomfort; uneasiness. Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes, and adversity is not without comforts and hopes. Bacon.

his vocation in the most dreary part of that dreary interval which separated two ages of prosperity. Macaulay.

, a drunk man). Be not drunk with wine, where in is excess. Eph. v. 18. Drunk with recent prosperity. Macaulay.

A lifting up by success; exaltation; inriation with pride of prosperity. "Felt the elation of triumph." Sir W. Scott.

-- usually followed by of; as, they did this in envy of Cæsar. Envy is a repining at the prosperity or good of another, or anger and displeasure at any good of another which we want, or any advantage another hath above us. Ray. No bliss Enjoyed by us excites his envy more. Milton. Envy, to which the ignoble mind's a s…

Appearing only when times or circumstances are prosperous; as, a fair-weather friend. Fair-weather sailor, a make-believe or inexperienced sailor; -- the nautical equivalent of carpet knight.

State of prosperity. [Obs.] They think it was never fair-world with them since. Milton.

egards with kindness or friendship; a well-wisher; one who assists or promotes success or prosperity. [Written also favourer.] And come to us as favorers, not as foes. Shak.

Characterized by felicity; happy; prosperous; delightful; skilful; successful; happily applied or expressed; appropriate. Felicitous words and images. M. Arnold. -- Fe*lic"i*tous*ly, adv. -- Fe*lic"i*tous*ness, n.

That which promotes happiness; a successful or gratifying event; prosperity; blessing. the felicities of her wonderful reign. Atterbury.

To be prosperous; to increase in wealth, honor, comfort, happiness, or whatever is desirable; to thrive; to be prominent and influental; specifically, of authors, painters, etc., to be in a state of activity or production. When all the workers of iniquity do flourish. Ps. xcii 7 Bad men as frequently prosper and flouri…

course of action; good or ill success; especially, favorable issue; happy event; success; prosperity as reached partly by chance and partly by effort. Our equal crimes shall equal fortune give. Dryden. There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Shak. His father dying, he was…

save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. vi. 14 No one . . . should glory in his prosperity. Richardson.

Success; prosperous journeying; -- a contraction of the phrase, "God speed you." [Written also as two separate words.] Receive him not into house, neither bid him God speed. 2 John 10.